2011 Amver Assisted Rescue at Sea Award Winner

Lloyd's List recently held their annual awards dinner in London on Sept. 20, 2011. The Amver Assisted Rescue at Sea Award, sponsored by Inmarsat, went to MOL Lines for the rescue of students from the sunken training ship Concordia by two of their Amver participating vessels.

The Amver Assisted Rescue at Sea Award praises seafarers for rescue activities demonstrating extraordinary courage and seamanship. This year's award honors the MOL-owned wood chip carriers Hokuetsu Delight and Crystal Pioneer, which rescued all 64 persons adrift from the sailing ship Concordia, which capsized in the Atlantic Ocean 550 km southeast of Rio de Janeiro.

The 57 meter Concordia, operated as a floating school, encountered fierce winds on February 17, 2010 and capsized around 8:00 pm that night, with the crew and trainees, high school and university students, abandoning ship. Search and rescue activities took place from the night of the incident until the morning of the 19th. Despite high winds, choppy seas, and limited pre-dawn visibility, the two wood chip carriers searched for and located the shipwreck survivors.

The task was all the more difficult considering that the huge wood chip carriers are easily affected by winds and difficult to maneuver. However, the highly skilled officers and crew members completed the rescue operation without any secondary injuries or damage.

In the winner photo:

Winner Mr. Mitsuhiro Iwata, Manager Director, Mitsui O.S.K. Bulk Shipping (Europe) Sponsor representative, Allison Horrocks, Senior Vice President Corporate Governance and Company Secretary, Inmarsat
Host: Matthew Parris

Photo credits: Lloyd's List